Swimming glove



Aug. 15, 1939. 5;. L. AN ERSON 2,169,939

SWIMMING GLOVE- Filed Feb. 16, 1937 J L. findsrsazz 7am flaw/M9 Patented Aug. 15, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT GFFECE 1 Claim.

This invention-relates to a swimmers glove.

It is well known that a swimmer cannot make use of his full muscular ability due to inefiiciency of the hand both as to size and shape as an organ of locomotion in the water. The fingers must be kept together to prevent slippage of the water between them and when they are in this position, the area of the hand is too small to oppose proper resistance to the water.

Web fingered gloves have been proposed which increase the area of the hand by permitting the fingers to be spread, but those which have heretofore been suggested have been inacceptable to the public because the webs hung in folds in the palm of the wearer when he was out of the water making it impossible for him to pick up or hold small objects without removing the gloves.

The present invention has for its object to provide a swimming glove in which the webs between the fingers are accordion pleated so that when the fingers are together the webs will remain folded neatly between the fingers and thumb without interfering with the grasping function of the hand.

Another object of the invention is to provide a swimming glove in which the webs, pleated as described terminate short of the digit portions of the glove so that the tips of the thumb and fingers are free for picking up or holding small objects such as a cigarette.

A further object of the invention relates to the provision of small perforations in the thumb and finger stalls for drainage purposes.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the following description of a preferred and practical embodiment thereof proceeds.

In the drawing which accompanies and forms a part of the following specification and throughout the several figures of which the same char- 4() acters of reference have been employed to designate identical parts:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a swimming glove embodying the features of the present invention, with the fingers spread;

45 Figure 2 is a View taken along the line of juncture of the web with the portion of the glove between the thumb and finger; and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view showing the web in folded position.

50 Referring now in detail to the several figures, the numeral l represents the glove in general,

which is preferably made of thin form-fitting sheet rubber, which may be integrally molded and adapted to fit close about the wrist of the wearer as at 2 so as to bar the ingress of water. The glove covers the fingers and thumb and in the ends of the digit stalls 3 are the small per- 5 forations 4 which provide for the drainage of any water which may enter by way of the wrist.

Between the fingers and including the thumb are the webs 5. These are preferably made of sheet rubber or of rubberized fabric for strength 10 and have predetermined lines of fold 6 which may be produced by vulcanizing the webs while in folded position, giving them a set shape to which they will normally return when the fingers are brought together. The lines of fold are so 15 disposed that the webs form accordion pleats or their equivalent when folded. As an auxiliary means of causing the webs to assume a pleated form when relaxed, they are preferably united to the body of the glove along a zig-zag line as 20 indicated at l, the apices 8 coinciding with the lines of fold. It will be observed from Figure 1 that the margins of the webs follow concave arcs, the ends of which are joined to the digit stalls below the tip ends thereof leaving the ends of 25 the fingers free.

It will be obvious that when the tip end of the glove is in the extended position shown in Figure 1, it will be of great assistance in swimming and that when it is in the relaxed position shown 30 in fragment in Figure 3, the webs will not hang over into the palm of the hand, but will remain neatly folded between the digits. It will also be apparent that since the finger tips are free, the glove is no impediment to the picking up of small 35 objects.

It will be understood to those skilled in the art that the details of construction as described and illustrated are merely by way of example and not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

What I claim is:

A swimming glove comprising a hand fitting member including thumb and finger stalls and accordion webs secured to said stalls between the palm and back surfaces thereof, said accordion webs having preformed lines of fold facing alternately in opposite directions and lying wholly between the palm and back surface of the stalls when in closed position. 5

FOREST L. ANDERSON. 

